Ralph p



R. P. HABLAN.

TOP.

APPLICATIQN FILED JAN.17.1919.

W556i' @m RALPH r. HABLAN, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

TOP.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 4c, 1919.

Application-filed January 17, 1919. VSerial No. 271,597. v

' To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, RALPH P. YI-IARLAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Tops, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relatesV to tops, an object being to provide an improved and simplified construction, one of the features residing in a novel spindle construction. Another feature of my invention lies in the provision of Y a comparatively heavy flat disk bodyV cov- Vered with thin sheet metal in intimate contact therewith and suitably secured to the disk, preferably by drawing the facing over the peripheral edge of the disk.

I also preferably provide a roughened surface on the upper or thin facing `so as to more eifectively propel various disks which may `be placed thereon, these disks being color plates which produce various color effects while the top is spinning. Y This roughened surface on the top. `is preferably in the nature of circular rows of projections of pre! determined numbers so as to form a musical scale.

For a better understanding of my invention reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which- F `'gure l is a plan view of the preferred form of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a transverse section through Fig. l;

Fig. 8 shows the top carrying `a plain paper disk adapted to be colored while spinning; and

Fig. 4 is a modified form of spindle construction in which the spinning shank is integral with the body portion.

Referring now more in detail to the construction employed, I provide a fiat, comparatively heavy, sheet metal disk 5 covered by a comparatively thin sheet metal facing 6 drawn over the peripheral edge of the disk and clenched thereon. The facing 6 is preferably made of sheet metal enameled or painted before forming. I preferably providea roughened surface on the facing 6 so as to more readily propel colored disks 7 which may be placed thereon, retarding means in the form of a winged device 8 being placed upon the top of the disks 7 sowas to retard their speed of rotation. The device 8 has bent up portions Sawhich retard the movement thereof, this device 8 being slightly creased at 81 and 8c, so that it may be turned up from either edge depending upon whether the top is to be spun by a right or left handed person. Thus it will be seen that as the top is spinning, the top itself tends to rotate the disks 7 in one direction and the wing device SV tends to retard their advance so that their relative position is constantly changing, thereby producing a varied colored effect.

Now this thin metal facing 6 in being roughened for the purpose of more eHectively propelling the colored disks, preferably contains a plurality of circular rows of projections displaced from the metal itself and of predetermined numbers, so as to forni a musical scale. Thus, when the top is spinning without any of the disks thereon, by

placing the tip of a small paper cone 9 against the various rows of projections, simpleeitunes may be played. This broadly is not new, my invention being directed more to improvements of construction.

I also provide a spinning shank l() having one end turned down so as to provide an annular shoulder, this end eXtending through the disk 5 and facing 6 and being staked thereto so as to be rigidly held in place. A spinning' string 1l is wound around the shank l0 for spinning the top. The spindle is preferably in the form of a rod l2 having a swaged annular flange 12a which is of course integral with the spindle proper and adapted to abut the upper end of the shank 10. The spindle extends down through the spindle bearing in the shank l0 and in order to retain the spindle in position, I preferably slip a washer 13' over the lower end and hold it in place by swaging a plurality of ears 12b around the peripheral surface of the spindle. The spindle is thus effectively retained in position, the upper integral annular flange 12a also acting as a rest for the removable handle 14. In spinning the top there is usually considerable strain or pressure placed upon the flange 12a and I have found great difficulty in maintaining the spindle in proper working order when separate elements 12L are fastened to the spindle. In my improved construction, however, the flange 12a is swaged integrally with the spindle 12 and is always maintained in proper position. Thus it will be seen that the spindle is maintained easily rotatable within the shank due to the swaged integral portions 12a and 12b at opposite ends of the shank.

In Fig. 3, I have shown my improved top carrying a plain paper disk 15 adapted to be colored while the top is spinning, by

means ofv a paintfbrtish 16 applied thereto.

Disks, as l5, may be placed upon .the .top and removed While spinning, being effectively held in position upon the top-due to the projections upon the facing 6.

In Fig..4`I havelshown a modified form of shank and spindle construction in Which the'shank 10f"-is integral with the body portion 5,-the shank in this case being drilled to provide a suitable spindle fbearino.

By means Iof my. improved construction I prov-ide a cheap simple top Which' when once assembled is maintained in good Working order and because 'ofits flat shapeand novel spindle construction spins for comparatively long periods.

Although Iy have shown several forms of my invention,` it is to be understood that this isv only for the purposeof illustration, and it Will be apparent that changes `and modifications will' readily occur to thoseskilled in the art, and therefore I do not desire to be limited to the exact structures shown and described, lbut aimfto cover all that which comes within the spirit and scope `of the appended claims.

I claim- 1.V A top comprising abody portion, a spinning` shank having a rotatable spindle bearingtherein, a spindle having a sWaged annular liange Vabutting the upper end of the shank, and means at the otherfend of the-spindlefor-retaining it in the shank.

2. A top comprising a body portion, a spinning shank having a' rotatable spindle bear-ing therein, a spindle havinga `swjaged annularflange abutting the-upper end of the shank, and swaged retaining means at the `other end of 'thespindle bearing'therein, and a spindle having integral retaining means at each end of the shank.

l.V A top comprising a heavy fiat sheet metal disk; a comparatively thin sheet metal Y. :facing in antimate contact With the disk and drawn over the peripheral edge thereof, a shouldered spinning shank extending through the vdisk and facing. and staked thereto, and a rotatable spindle extending through. theV shank. Y

5. A topwcomprising a heavy flat sheet metall fdisk, 4a comparatively thin sheet metal facing in intimate contact with the disk and drawn over the peripheral edge thereof, al shouldered spinning shank extending through the disk and facing and staked thereto, and. a vrotatable spindle extending through the `shank having `integral retaining `means ateachend ofthe shank.

6. A top comprising a heavyi'flat sheet metal disk, a comparatively thinsheet metal facingin intimate Contact with ;the disk, said facing-having'circular rows of projections forming a musical scale, and means for holding the .disk `and facing together.

7 A top comprising a heavyvflat vsheet metal disk, Y a comparatively thin sheet metal facing in intimate contact With the -disk and drawn over. the `peripheral edge thereof, said facing having circular rows' ofV projections forming. a. musical scale.

8..A top comprising a'heavyflat sheet metal disk, a comparativelyl thin sheet metal facing in intimate contact Witlr the vdisk `and drawn over the peripheral edge thereof, :said facing having circular roWs of projections forming a4 musical scale, and avspinning shank and spindle for the disk `and facing.

In Witness whereof I `hereunto"subscribe my name this 7th day of January, A. D.

' RALPH P. :HABLAN Copieaof this patent maybe obtained for yfive cents eaehby addressing-.the rGomutdaaioner: ofv Patents,

` W'ashingtomnc. 

